Strategy
Navigating safely through a volatile, fast-changing environment
The DHL Group’s strategy draws on the elements of Strategy 2015 and 2020, which established us as the world’s leading logistics company. Building on this foundation, Strategy 2025, which we presented to the public at the end of 2019, has helped us to cement and grow that leading position.
We defined our strategic goals in a comprehensive process in which we worked with our relevant stakeholders including employees, customers, suppliers and investors. The “Strategy House” graphic of DHL Group illustrates the most important elements of our strategy and how they are connected.
So far, Strategy 2025 has guided us safely through the volatile, fast-changing environment. As part of a yearly assessment, we undertook a detailed review of our corporate strategy and found it not only to be fundamentally sound, but that it had also made DHL Group more resilient. Focusing on our core business has helped us to make the necessary adjustments quickly, in particular in the volatile environment of recent years, so that we could not only keep our promise to the customers under these challenging circumstances, but also ensure the financial stability of the company and do justice to the investors by sticking to our financial strategy. That resilience is the result of the disciplined and consistent execution of our Group strategy, with each and every element playing a key role.
Strategic triad of purpose, vision and values
Our purpose of “Connecting people, improving lives” has never been more important than it is today. In keeping with our vision of being THE logistics company for the world, DHL Group strives to continue leading the industry – and doing so in an increasingly digital and sustainability-oriented world. Our core values “Respect and Results” are just as much a part of our strategy today as they have been in the past.
The triad of purpose, vision and values underpins the three building blocks of Strategy 2025: sustained execution excellence along the three bottom lines; becoming an employer, provider and investment of choice; and a focus on our profitable core business and digital transformation. We have also cemented sustainability in the business strategy with our purpose and our own values. Respect and Results mean that we are committed to each other and, together, make a positive social contribution. Our purpose “Connecting people, improving lives” guides our efforts and sense of responsibility.
STRATEGY HOUSE
Execution excellence along the three bottom lines
Our mission of “Excellence. Simply delivered.” is defined by the three bottom lines of becoming the employer, provider and investment of choice. We believe having motivated and skilled employees is the key to providing excellent service quality and achieving profitable growth.
At DHL Group, when we speak of our Common DNA, we mean the set of behaviors, tools and programs that we put into practice throughout the Group. Group-wide programs such as Certified, First Choice and Safety First play an important part in building the Common DNA by influencing what we do on a day-to-day basis. Irrespective of division, geographical region or function, our Common DNA is an expression of who we are and how we do things at DHL Group.
As an integral part of our strategy, sustainability is anchored along our three bottom lines. New policies and regulations across industries, increasingly changing buying habits and the growing interest in topics related to sustainability have motivated us to serve as a sustainability role model in our industry and to set ourselves ambitious targets. We therefore made sustainability a cornerstone of Strategy 2025 and an essential element of our mission.
With our ESG Roadmap, we build on our past achievements and plot a course for future success. The road map serves as guidance in the three areas of environment, social responsibility and corporate governance. Clear objectives were set for each of these areas. We strive for environmentally friendly logistics and aim to be a great place to work for all and a trustworthy company and partner.
We set transparent, time-bound targets and KPIs with which we make sustainability an integral component in the yearly planning and strategic cycle, with targets integrated into our decision-making process. One key target is to increase the pace of our company’s planned decarbonization, nonfinancial statement.
Divisions focus on profitable core business
Our divisions continue to focus relentlessly on their profitable core. In so doing, they ensure that our services and solutions can be provided reliably, even in unusual circumstances.
Digital transformation as a key lever
Representing a significant lever for sustainable business growth, digital transformation plays a crucial role in our strategy. We therefore invest in initiatives designed to improve the experiences our customers and employees have with the company and to increase operational efficiency. In our divisions, we have several initiatives and programs in place to upgrade the IT backbone, ensure our future agility and increase IT efficiency. In particular in the fields of automation and robotics, data science, API and the Internet of Things, we are continuously building up centralized know-how and scaling digital solutions for the divisions.